Who needs an SSRI?

Who needs an SSRI?

Who Should Take SSRIs? SSRIs are usually the first choice for doctors treating depression or anxiety with prescription medications, but they’re not for everyone. It is normal to feel sad or “down” in the wake of stressful life events such as the death of a loved one, a job loss or a divorce.

Why are SSRIs preferred?

In clinical trials, SSRIs have been well tolerated compared with placebo. Their relative lack of anticholinergic effects (e.g., constipation, urinary retention, blurred vision, confusion) and orthostatic effects makes them well suited for the treatment of depression among most adult patients, including the elderly.

What is the mechanism of action for SSRI?

How SSRIs work. SSRIs treat depression by increasing levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is one of the chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) that carry signals between brain nerve cells (neurons). SSRIs block the reabsorption (reuptake) of serotonin into neurons.

How does SSRI work for anxiety?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are usually the first choice of medication for treating social anxiety disorder (SAD). SSRIs affect your brain chemistry by slowing re-absorption of the neurotransmitter serotonin, a chemical that we think helps to regulate mood and anxiety.

Which is the best SSRI for anxiety?

The antidepressants most widely prescribed for anxiety are SSRIs such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, and Celexa. SSRIs have been used to treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

How common are SSRI side effects?

Thirty-eight percent of the approximately 700 patients surveyed reported having experienced a side effect as a result of taking a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant; the most common side effects mentioned were sexual functioning, sleepiness, and weight gain.

What is the safest SSRI?

Citalopram and escitalopram have been considered the safest among the SSRIs with respect to potential for liver injury [41].

What are the side effects of SSRIs?

Common side effects of SSRIs can include:

• feeling agitated, shaky or anxious.
• feeling or being sick.
• indigestion.
• diarrhoea or constipation.
• loss of appetite and weight loss.
• dizziness.
• blurred vision.
• dry mouth.

Why do SSRIs make you feel worse at first?

When you start an antidepressant medicine, you may feel worse before you feel better. This is because the side effects often happen before your symptoms improve. Remember: Over time, many of the side effects of the medicine go down and the benefits increase.

What happens if SSRIs don’t work for anxiety?

Serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) If SSRIs don’t help ease your anxiety, you may be prescribed a different type of antidepressant known as a serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). This type of medicine increases the amount of serotonin and noradrenaline in your brain.

Why are there so many side effects with SSRI’s?

Accordingly, the number of side effects has generally been reduced. At first, it was thought that simply increasing levels of serotonin was responsible for reducing symptoms associated with anxiety and depression. This was consistent with the popular idea that depression resulted from a chemical imbalance of serotonin.

How are SSRIs used to treat depression and anxiety?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (or SSRIs) are a class of antidepressants prescribed for depression and anxiety disorders. They work by increasing the amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin.

Why are SSRIs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors?

They’re called “selective” serotonin reuptake inhibitors because they specifically target serotonin. The FDA is in charge of deciding which medications are safe and effective for which reasons. The following SSRIs are approved to treat depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders:

Which is the first SSRI in the world?

The first major SSRI to be introduced to the general public was fluoxetine (more commonly known as Prozac) in the late ’80s; Prozac remains one of the most popular SSRIs today. Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs or SSNRIs) increase levels of both serotonin and norepinephrine by delaying reuptake of both neurotransmitters.